Late Friday afternoon, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that a total of 14 persons (down from the 15 announced by the California Department of Public Health on Thursday) infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Stanley have been reported from three states.
Most of the ill people have been reported from California (85 percent). The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: California (12), Nevada (1), and Wyoming (1). One ill person identified in Utah likely acquired their infection during international travel and was excluded from the case count. Twenty-five percent of ill persons have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Collaborative investigative efforts by state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicate that raw cashew cheese produced by The Cultured Kitchen of West Sacramento, CA, is the likely source of this outbreak. On Thursday, CDPH Director and State Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman warned people not to eat cashew cheese products manufactured by The Cultured Kitchen because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. Fifteen cases of illnesses have been reported in the Western United States, with 12 of the cases occurring in California. Three patients have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. The Cultured Kitchen has initiated a voluntary recall of all flavors of its cashew cheese products with expiration dates on or before April 19, 2014, due to the risk of contamination with Salmonella. The products were sold in natural food stores throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada and at farmers markets in Sacramento County. The cashew cheese products were sold in eight-ounce plastic containers in the following flavors: Herb, smoked cheddar, pepper jack, habañero cilantro lime, basil pesto and white cheddar.
While the cashew cheese products are no longer being sold at retail facilities, CDPH is concerned that consumers may still have some of these products in their homes.
